Negros Oriental or Eastern Negros is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. It is located in the south-eastern half of the island of Negros and also includes Apo Island. Negros Oriental faces Cebu to the east across the Taņon Strait and Siquijor to the south east. It's capital city is Dumaguete.
Negros Island, the fourth largest island in the Philippines and is thought to have formed part of Mindanao island pre ice-age
When Spanish explorers arrived on the island they named it Negros after the inhabitants which they found to be dark skinned.
Due to its proximity to Mindanao, the south eastern coast of Negros was in constant threat from Moro pirates who were used to pillaging and taking slaves, so after the Spanish Christianised the people they erected watchtowers as an early warning system to protect the Christian villages from such attacks.
Japanese forces who invaded the island during the second world war were defeated by combined Filipino & American troops along with the local guerrilla force in 1945.
Negros Oriental's major industry is agriculture because of it's vast fertile land resources. The primary crops are sugarcane, corn, coconuts and rice along with cattle ranching, logging, fish farming and fishing around the costal areas. Negros also has deposits of gold, silver and copper. Tourism is also an up and coming industry in Negros Oriental.
